Sakura's Journey
by BleedingBlossom101
Summary: She knew she couldn't take this any longer. It has been six years since she last seen his arrogant smirk; six long years since she heard his magnetic voice and smelled his unique scent that reminded her of rain and forest. Six years since he just knocked her out and left with just two simple words. What is she planning on doing about it? Read it to find out and please review
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – Itachi and Sakura story**

**Blossom: I thought I would make a sad love story this time to see if I can get anymore reviewers if I made any mistakes in my writing I apologize I type so fast when I have a story in mind so I don't forget it. Oh and I don't own Naruto. **

She knew she couldn't take this any longer.

It has been six years since she last seen his arrogant smirk; six long years since she heard his magnetic voice and smelled his unique scent that reminded her of rain and forest. Six years since he just knocked her out and left with just two simple words.

Ever since that day, both she and Naruto had tried everything in their power to take their mind off their teammate, to train individually and when the time was ripe, they would meet again and bring Sasuke back.

Which failed miserably since they were never able to find Orochimaru's headquarters, or Sasuke for that matter. It was as if both had vanished into thin air, leaving not even a small trail behind.

Desperate, they had returned after spending two weeks in the Country of Field, attempting to find their lost teammate but never succeeding.

Sakura was sure she was going mad.

She cried when Naruto tried to comfort her, telling her that his promise was eternal; that he'd bring Sasuke back, no matter what. She sobbed as Sai suggested that perhaps Sasuke had left Sound already in search of his older brother. Sakura wept as the annual team photo shoot was announced and Naruto suggested to make a picture of the three of them, while holding a picture of Sasuke in their hands, showing that they still knew who their real teammate was.

And now she was drained.

She had hit rock bottom when Sai stepped out of the shower they were sharing during a C-Class mission, drying his hair. He saw her then and flashed that fake smile of his as the towel fell down to the ground, exposing his hair.

His hair was spiky at the back and she knew it was because he was drying his hair in that place, but she just couldn't get the mental image of Sasuke's hair out of her head then.

When he tried to ask her if something was the matter, she had quickly turned around, ignoring Naruto as he called out her name and locked herself up in her own room, spending the rest of the afternoon crying over a fading image.

The year afterwards, she tried to ignore everything that had any connection with the Uchiha. She tried hating him, but failed miserably as she glanced to their group picture when they had just become Genin. She tried to ignore the pain that he had left in his wake, thinking that one day, it might just go away.

Sakura tried to wish Sasuke away; wish that she had never laid eyes on him, but he would still be there when she woke up.

On her seventeenth birthday, she hoped to find Sasuke standing in front of her door, congratulating her with her birthday as he pressed a present into her hands, Naruto in tow with a smile, telling her that he had kept his promise and brought Sasuke back.

She smiled slightly, mentally complimenting herself for being so naïve throughout the years.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto called her gently, awaking her from her reverie.

Sakura glanced at her right, watching as Naruto landed on the same branch as hers before jumping further. "What is it Naruto?"

His cerulean eyes had lost the spark she was used to seeing as a child. She supposed losing your best friend and not being able to help him would do that to someone. Maybe she had lost her own spark; who knows?

His hair was longer and flatter than before, but it still had that spiky edge to it. Now sporting a Chuunin uniform, Sakura couldn't help but feel saddened with the thought that they'd left their childhood behind, together with Sasuke.

"I was wondering…" Naruto stalled slightly, voice faltering. "Would you… like to eat some ramen with me?"

She remained quiet for a moment, contemplating his offer and Naruto grew more restless with each passing second.

"I'll pay!" he quickly said as an afterthought, making Sakura smile slightly.

"Sure," she nodded and watched as Naruto beamed back like a child who had just been given some candy. She smiled sadly, before focusing on the road ahead of them.

They had just returned from a B-Ranked mission, concerning a certain paranoid Daimyou who thought he needed Shinobi to protect him. But nothing had happened throughout the entire mission and so they returned completely unscathed.

Her eighteenth birthday was during said mission and Naruto had apparently found a way to send one of his Bunshins to the nearest gift shop and buy her a box of chocolates.

She smiled lightly; it was probably the most romantic thing Naruto had ever done for her.

Sakura pondered slightly on what to wear. She wanted to make it special for Naruto, one good, happy memory of her. After all, this was her last chance to eat some ramen together with him.

Because on her eighteenth birthday, she decided to leave Konoha and find Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan!"

She chuckled lightly. Leave it to Naruto to call her name, rather than to knock on the door. She waved goodbye at her mother who smiled back at her before continuing to chop the vegetables for dinner.

Walking out of the kitchen, she could hear Naruto yell her name again and balled her first slightly in irritation, before realizing this was the last time she would see Naruto.

She froze in the hallway and for the first time, she doubted her decision. According to her plan, she would eat with Naruto, wait until her mother had fallen asleep before packing her stuff and run off towards Sound.

It seemed like such a good plan.

If only she wouldn't miss her mother, Naruto, Kakashi… Even Ino.

Tears burned in the corners of her eyes as she recognized that she wouldn't see any of them again, and what for? A man… no, a boy of her past who didn't even go out with her once. A boy who blatantly ignored her feelings and ran off to gain power.

But he was also someone else… He was boy who complimented her in order to cheer her up; a boy who fought to protect her. A boy who would lie next to her in the grass during a mission, and his presence would be enough to soothe her and to make her fall asleep. A boy that she _had confessed to love._

Sasuke was a boy and she would have left Konoha to be with him.

Without fully realizing it, she had been crying.

"Sakura?" her mother's voice sounded concerned. "Are you alright? That boy is still calling out to you!"

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts, quickly wiping away the tears that streamed down her cheeks before turning around, meeting her mother's worried glance. "I'm fine. I'll see you tonight."

Her mother nodded with a half-hearted smile and Sakura smiled back before rushing towards the door where the blonde shouted her name once again, this time knocking on the door as well.

She opened the door roughly, stopping Naruto as he attempted to knock again.

"Sakura-chan," he smiled brightly.

"There's no need to break down the door you know," Sakura smiled weakly as she grabbed her boots, putting them on before walking through the threshold, closing the wooden door behind her.

Naruto nodded eagerly. "Sorry, I thought you were gone."

The word 'gone' nearly made her flinch and she bit her lip slightly to stop herself from crying again.

"I was just distracted," she said quietly.

Naruto smiled bright to her, obviously oblivious to her small depression as he led her to Ichiraku.

They shared light conversations as they walked through the illuminated streets of Konoha. Sakura was only listening with one ear though, smiling sadly as she stared at the buildings she used to pass by so easily, not knowing that one day, she might even miss those.

While Naruto was ranting about his latest technique that Jiraiya had taught him, Sakura looked at the academy as they passed it by, vividly remembering all the times that she would sit in the field of flowers with Ino, staying there for hours, just chatting until they saw the sun set and ran off to their respective homes before their mothers became upset.

She missed those days.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Yes?" she asked, half-smiling as she continued reminiscing about her childhood.

"We're here," Naruto grinned widely, propping his arms behind his head. "You sure you're alright Sakura-chan? You seem a little distant tonight."

"I'm fine Naruto," she poked his stomach gently. "Let's go."

She was awarded with another one of his grins as they walked into the small stand.

"That was great," Naruto exclaimed as he rubbed over his stomach as they walked away from Ichiraku. "I can't believe how I've lived two and a half years without it."

"Me neither," Sakura chuckled.

He smiled at her, sky-blue eyes fixated on the roseate kunoichi next to him and then his gaze turned serious. "Are you sure you're alright Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, why?" she asked softly.

"You haven't eaten much… I haven't seen you so down since…" his voice wavered slightly and Sakura knew where this was going.

"I'm fine… I just…miss him," she said evasively.

He nodded slightly. "I know… I do too."

They stopped on near the crossroads and Sakura smiled. "I need to go left here."

"I know," Naruto grinned. "Want me to take you home?"

"I'll be fine Naruto," she smiled slightly before stepping towards him.

She ignored his shocked look as she wrapped her arms around him gently, pressing herself against him in a last ditch attempt to memorize the texture of his clothing, the way he smelled like spicy ramen and the way he held her in his arms as he wrapped his own arms around her.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Naruto whispered softly in her ear, making Sakura hold on to him tighter. She never wanted to let go of him; she was secure in his arms and he would protect her from everything, she was sure of it.

If only she loved Naruto.

If only she could forget about Sasuke.

And then the waterworks started, and Sakura cried on Naruto's shoulder as he whispered gentle, soothing words in her ear while stroking over her back. He never asked why she was crying, he just held her in his arms for those precious minutes as she clenched and twisted Naruto's Chuunin uniform in her hands, never wanting to let go.

It took her several minutes to calm down and several more to finally gain the willpower to let go of him.

She was afraid to look him in the eye, afraid that he might see through her instantly. But his hand cupped her chin gently before pushing it up, forcing her to look up and see the sad smile that adorned his lips.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan," he said, voice still as strong as ever. "My promise is still valid. I'll bring Sasuke back."

"I know you will." _And I hope you'll bring me back too._

"You sure you want to go home alone?" Naruto's voice was tinged with concern. "It's no problem for me to take you home."

"I'm sure," she said calmly, forcing herself to smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Naruto grinned at her, before clasping her shoulder. "You take care alright? It'll be fine, trust me."

"I know."

"See you tomorrow," Naruto smiled before turning around as he walked away towards his house. Halfway around, he turned around and waved at her before turning around again.

Sakura just watched him as his form slowly blended and disappeared in the dark shadows.

When she got home, her mother was asleep already. Sakura wasn't surprised; her mother went to bed early and woke up early just to make her daughter's breakfast.

Stealthily, she opened the door to her mother's bedroom, and slipped inside before sitting down on the ground, watching her mother's sleeping form.

Biting her lip to quell the tears that were threatening to spill, she gently stroked her mother's hair, making sure that she wouldn't wake up before turning around.

It hurt to know that this would be the last time she would ever see her mother.

Casting one last, lingering look over her shoulder, she sneaked out of the room and walked the stairs up to her room.

She opened the wooden door and walked straight to her closet, knowing that if she stayed any longer, her resolve would fade and she would end up staying in Konoha, rather than searching for Sasuke.

She grabbed her backpack and quickly stowed some of her clothes in it, bandages, a couple of medicines and some anesthetics and finally, the picture of Team Seven.

She glanced at it, longingly as she touched Sasuke's photographed head, enjoying the feel of the cool glass against her warm fingertips.

"Soon Sasuke-kun…" she whispered as she packed the picture.

Glancing around her room for the last time, she refrained herself from crying as she stared at the picture of her and Ino.

She would definitely miss Ino.

She didn't even had the chance to say goodbye.

She trembled slightly as she grabbed two pieces of paper from her desk and hastily scribbled a goodbye note for her mother and one for Naruto.

Sakura knew he would understand. He would hate the fact that she was gone too, but she knew he would understand why she left. Perhaps the one most understanding of her feelings _was_ Naruto.

Placing the two pieces of paper on her bed, she heaved her backpack over her shoulder and turned around without even a second glance. She closed the door behind her and looked around her house before she walked down the stairs as quietly as possible.

She toyed with the thought to see her mother again, but she knew that doing so would only lead into more tears and questions if her mother accidentally woke up and saw her daughter sitting next to her bed, crying her eyes out while carrying a backpack on her shoulder.

Therefore, she settled with touching the wooden door of her mother's bedroom for a while, wishing things could be different before she turned around and left the house.

Luckily, she didn't live far from the gates of Konoha. Sakura wasn't sure how much pain she could handle and for a second actually envied the missing-nin who had carelessly turned their backs against their villages and left to live by themselves.

Vaguely, she wondered how many of them regretted leaving.

She strolled past the academy again, smiling slightly as she remembered all her fond memories in the classroom when everything was still simple. When she would still bicker with Ino about who could sit next to Sasuke.

If she had known that the Chuunin exam would be such a disastrous event for all of them, Sakura wouldn't have shown up. She would have stopped after the written exam, not giving Orochimaru a reason to find Sasuke. She would have protected all of them from the events that happened afterwards.

If she hadn't entered, Sasuke would have never caught Orochimaru's eye and none of this might have happened. There would be three people dining at Ichiraku tonight, rather than two. She could still ask Sasuke if he would go out with her, and perhaps after knowing her for years now, he would say yes.

Sakura knew this was all just a fairytale, but how she wished it could be reality.

She walked past the garden of flowers, picking of the cosmos flowers and smelled it's fresh scent as she placed it, lovingly, inside of her backpack. She would dry the flower later on and keep it as a memento for Ino.

Finally, the gates that led to Konoha's exit came into vision, and with that, the road where her hopes and dreams were crushed; where she had confessed her love for Sasuke and he had declined her once again.

She stopped.

She turned around.

There was still time to go back. This was foolish; she would say goodbye to everybody for Sasuke. She would leave her village, where she had build up a career as a medic-nin, the village where she had turned into a Chuunin.

And for what?

To help a lost boy find her revenge for his older brother? To help him train? She wasn't even sure what she would do once she arrived in Sound.

"_Don't worry Sakura-chan."_

She shivered slightly as a cool night breeze passed her.

"_Don't worry Sakura-san… It'll be fine, I know it will turn out fine. Naruto-kun gave you the 'Nice-guy' pose after all."_

"Lee…" she whispered slightly, remembering how he had tried to cheer her up after the three Genin left to search Sasuke.

"_Sakura… Don't worry, everything will turn out fine."_

"Kakashi-sensei…"

And she took a step back to Konoha.

She was right, this was foolish. Someday, they would all combine their powers and they would bring Sasuke back. This wasn't worth it.

She could lose her life if ANBU found her. For all she knew; Orochimaru or any other Sound-nin would kill her if she arrived there. There was no telling what would happen in the future and it scared her.

In Konoha she would be safe.

In Konoha, she still had everyone else.

She took another step back to Konoha.

"_Sakura."_

She could still hear his voice calling out to her. If she closed her eyes now, Sakura could imagine Sasuke still standing in front of her, his back turned to her, the Uchiha emblem colored in such vivid colors compared to the dark night.

Sakura remembered everything he had told her that night.

He wasn't like her or Naruto… His heart had chosen revenge above them… He found her to be annoying…

"_Sakura…thank you."_

He had thanked her…

"_Sakura."_

She turned around and bit her lip as she stared at the gates that loomed in front of her.

"_Sakura."_

She clenched her fist slightly and took a step towards the gates, steeling her resolve.

Sakura took another step and looked over her shoulder one last time before tears started to sting in the corners of her eyes and she turned back towards the gate and ran over the stone pavement, jaw clenched so hard that it hurt as she ran past the gate and left her home village.

For Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan," he knocked on her door as he yelled her name.

This was the second time that she didn't open up immediately and Naruto was getting worried. Usually her mother was home around this hour, and although she still stared him suspiciously, probably thinking that the Kyuubi might pop up any minute, she would always go to Sakura's room and get her to hurry up.

Then again, maybe she was already at the Hokage tower.

With one last scrutinizing look and the awful feeling that something was wrong, Naruto started sprinting towards the Hokage's headquarters; fully aware that he was fifteen minutes late and Tsunade would give him hell.

He dashed past Izumo and Kotetsu, hearing them yell and swear loudly as they dropped the stack of papers they were holding. He yelled an apology back and ran into the headquarters, nearly bumped into Shizune and earned some swearing from her as well.

He apologized quickly before finally reaching the room where Tsunade's office was located.

Without knocking first, he opened the door violently and stepped in, before realizing that Sakura wasn't there.

Instead, Sakura's mother was there, crying quietly and Kakashi was standing in front of Tsunade's desk and had turned slightly to see Naruto enter.

And then it hit him that something bad had happened.

"… What's going on?" he asked, voice faltering slightly. "Where's Sakura-chan?"

"Sit down," Tsunade directed and Naruto immediately spotted the waver in her voice, contradicting the stern manner she regarded him

"What happened?" Naruto asked again, ignoring Tsunade's orders.

"Naruto," Kakashi spoke up, tone serious. "Sit down."

Naruto gave Kakashi an exasperated glance as he stalked forward and sat down on one of the chairs. "Well?"

Usually, Tsunade would rant at him that she was the Hokage and that his bratty little self needed to show her some damn respect, but to his utter surprise, she only sighed forlornly.

"Sakura left Konoha," she said, hiding her face from view as she tried her hardest to overcome the emotions that were in danger of escaping.

Hokages don't cry.

It remained silent after that statement. The only thing Tsunade could still hear were the sobs of Sakura's mother and the harsh breathing of Naruto.

Naruto's world was shattered in that instant.

Everything made sense now.

He understood why she held him so tightly last night, why she had agreed to go on a date with him. Naruto even understood why she cried and why she found it so hard to let go of him. It all made sense.

But he wasn't willing to admit it.

Sakura wouldn't leave. Not after all that they'd been through together. Not after all the promises they made to bring Sasuke back and hit him until he was knocked out and they dragged his sorry ass home.

She could have the first go… he promised that.

Maybe she hadn't left the village… Maybe there was something else going on.

Was it his fault for leaving Sakura alone yesterday? Was she attacked?

"What are you saying Tsunade-baachan…" he whispered hoarsely, chuckling slightly. "Where did she go to? The mission already? Was it because I'm late?"

"You know what I meant," Tsunade said harshly.

"She wouldn't leave," Naruto whispered like a mantra before yelling it out to Tsunade as he rose from his chair. "She wouldn't leave! We were going to bring back Sasuke together!"

"Naruto," Kakashi said his name half-threateningly as he laid one of his large hands on Naruto's shoulder and pushed him back on the chair. "You're talking to the Hokage," he said firmly. "Show some respect."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto rose his voice desperately. "You know that she would never leave! Say something!"

"Calm down," Kakashi said in a low voice, thought Naruto could swear he heard a sympathetic tone in his voice. He heard his teacher sigh softly and clenched his teeth painfully hard in frustration before fixing his gaze back on Tsunade.

"How do you know she's gone by her own free will?" Naruto searched desperately for another solution to the mystery surrounding Sakura's disappearance. "Maybe someone kidnapped her!"

"She left a note," Sakura's mother finally spoke up, voice quivering somewhat as she stared at Naruto through her tears.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see that Tsunade was finally looking up as well.

Shocked, he muttered the only thing that he could at that moment. "What did it say?"

Wordlessly, she fumbled to get something out of her pocket, before thrusting it to Naruto, who accepted the small scrap of paper wordlessly. Still staring at Sakura's mother in puzzlement, he opened the letter and stared at Sakura's hastily scribbled handwriting.

_I'm so sorry Naruto._

He trembled slight as tears started to well up in the corners of his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to be strong, this always happened for some reason. He tried protecting everybody and yet failed to protect the two people closest to his heart.

And he was supposed to become a Hokage? Someone who could protect an entire village?

He wasn't even fit to protect his own friends.

Tears dripped down from his nose onto the paper, staining the ink. The tears blurred his vision as he crumpled the letter in his hands, unaware of the fact that Tsunade had stood up and was walking towards him with a sympathetic and sad look in her eyes. Unaware to Kakashi's hand which had involuntarily gripped his shoulder somewhat harder. He was even oblivious to the fact that Sakura's mother was crying again.

"Why…?" he asked to nobody in particular.

"Why what?" Kakashi asked gently, the firm tone from before gone.

"Why is everybody leaving me?"


	2. Encounter

**Chapter Two – Encounter**

**Blossom: I don't own Naruto and Plz review!**

She carefully hid herself in the foliage of the large trees that surrounded the forest near the border of the Country of Fire, observing the ANBU members as they stood still on the ground for a moment, their kunai drawn ominously.

Trying her hardest to regulate her breathing, she drew her own kunai from her pouch, gripping the cold metal hard as the ANBU looked up, scanning the trees and the environment. Her heart nearly pounded out of her chest as one of the members wearing a raccoon mask glanced directly into her direction and she stirred uncomfortably until he relinquished his gaze and pocketed his kunai again.

They stood still for a moment longer, then hastily dashed away.

Sakura exhaled in relief, moving from her awkward position as soon as she felt the ANBU were on a decent distance, then jumped down the tree and landed on a branch near the ground.

Twenty-one days had passed since she left Konoha, but the borders were guarded by ANBU members who circled around in groups of four.

A half-starved kunoichi who lived on the fruits and food the forest provided would be little treat to them, even if she was trained by Tsunade. Her inhuman strength and medical jutsu relied on her chakra and she was completely depleted daily as she tried to get as far away from Konoha as she could, using genjutsu to stealthily make her way out of situations where ANBU would arrive whilst she tried to escape.

She had meant to go around Konoha, leaving through the Country of River and making her way to Sound from there on, hoping that Tsunade would send them directly to the Valley of the End and from there on out to Sound in hopes of finding her immediately.

What she hadn't included in her seemingly brilliant plan was the notion that the ANBU security and surveillance around the borders of River were tightened since a couple of years, after they found out that Akatsuki's headquarters was most probably stationed there. In an attempt to make sure at least Naruto would be save, security had been doubled there and it was becoming increasingly hard to make her way through the relatively small forest and cross into River.

"_Stupid_," she whispered under her breath as she jumped away from the branch and made her way though the forest, hoping to finally exit the country before the next batch of the elite forces would show up.

Thankfully peering to the sky, seeing that the sun was beginning to set, she jumped from tree to tree, she paused on every step, carefully listened to hear if she could hear anyone approaching and tried to sense if enemy chakra was nearing her, but nobody came. Satisfied, Sakura quickly continued, stopping only as she saw the border and the wooden cabin that stood there, light emanating from the windows, signaling that someone was inside on guard duty.

'_There should be some ANBU members around here as well,'_she realized and made her way down to the ground without making a sound. Sakura crept towards some of the bushes, then squatted down as soon as she found a decent place to hide. There was no doubt in her mind that the best moment to pass the border would be when it was completely dark to avoid as much attention as she could.

As she scanned the vicinity, she quickly realized that there were two ANBU members standing guard nearby.

The setting sun cast long shadows on the muddy ground, giving Sakura enough space to hide away from the two perceptive gazes of the ANBU members. She ducked away from sight just as one of the ANBU members looked into her direction, his face hidden behind the trademark mask.

Sakura held her breath, afraid that the observent shinobi might have caught a glimpse of her with his keen eyes. Her fear intensified exponentially as she heard a twig break under the man's boot. He was definitely getting closer.

But Sakura was a trained kunoichi. As stealthy as she possible could, Sakura crept away, careful not making a sound, moving only when the evening breeze passed by, using the rustling of leaves as a camouflage for her quick escape.

The forest became darker and darker as the sun disappeared behind clouds, now simply a red circle on the horizon. The sky was colored with brilliant shades of peach, crimson and mauve, blending in more and more until it was completely blue. After the sun had set completely, the sky turned dark blue and the color ironically reminded her of Sasuke's eyes. "Midnight blue," she whispered under her breath, careful not to speak too loud, in case the ANBU member was nearby.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity of silence, one of the men talked calmly about how boring their shift was. As more men joined in on the conversation, Sakura finally gained the courage to glance around the trunk she was leaning against. They stood a few yards away from her, backs turned, completely absorbed in their conversation.

Knowing that this was her only chance, Sakura moved along, using the bushes and the foliage of the trees as a cover while racing from one side to another. Amazingly enough, none of the ANBU members had noticed her passing by as she reached the other end of the border. Sakura made a mental note to tell Tsunade about the slacking members.

She halted, freezing on the spot. Resisting the urge to laugh at herself, she shook her head, mentally berating herself. Sakura wasn't even sure if she'd even get to see Sasuke, much less return to Konoha in one piece. To think about what to say to Tsunade about the shinobi that actually stayed in the village simply seemed silly.

Sakura sighed softly, then stopped midstride, realizing that the ANBU members suddenly came closer. Hastily, she ducked under a bush and waited for them to pass her by as they jumped into the branches and farther away from her.

Taking that as her cue, Sakura dashed away as fast as she could, completely exhausted and the slightest twinge of regret occupying her mind. She afforded one glance back to the Fire Country, the place that had been her home. It seemed like a faraway place now, somewhere she couldn't return unless she brought back Sasuke.

Resolve burned in her eyes as she relinquished her gaze and moved farther into the Country of River.

"Itachi-san," Kisame growled, glancing up to the east as he readjusted Samehada on his back. His razor-sharp teeth were bared as he grinned to no-one in particular, mulling over the chakra level that was nearing them.

Uchiha Itachi stood very still, glancing into the same directions from the corners of his eyes as he rebuttoned his Akatsuki cloak. Normally, Kisame wouldn't even get excited about anyone nearing them. Most people didn't know about Akatsuki, which enabled the both of them to move around the countries without too much hassle.

But Itachi knew this particular chakra level. It belonged to the medical kunoichi that was with Uzumaki Naruto – the kyuubi, when he battled him for a second time. "Haruno… Sakura…" he whispered in his velvet, deep voice, still looking into that particular direction.

Quickly, he weighed out the pros and cons of searching her out. To do anything rashly would be unnecessary and unlike him. And his gut was now telling him that it was the right time for him to move. "Kisame," he whispered, barely audible, but enough for Kisame to nod and jump into the trees.

Itachi hesistated for a second, crimson eyes locked on nothing in particular as he observed that general path. Though it was probably a good decision, something did not sit well with him.

Only time would tell exactly what.

He blinked once and followed Kisame into the trees as they swiftly made their way to their unsuspecting target.

Sakura was a day removed from the Fire Country's border now and though she was happy with her progress, certain problems had occurred. For instance, the fact that the River Country apparently had a serious lack of fruits that grew on trees. Also, most rivers she passed were completely devoid of fish, leaving her with nothing to eat except an apple that she had taken along with her just before crossing the border.

Her stomach growled and Sakura could feel herself weakening. The constant use of chakra that she used to move faster was helpful, but also tiring. And the lack of sleep was maddening. Dark circles had formed under her eyes and her tired eyelids closed every once in a while, only to snap up when she heard something more in the vicinity.

Sleep was overtaking her now as dark spots danced in front of her eyes. Sakura halted on the mossy ground, managing to stride towards a tree. She sat down, leaning against the harsh wooden trunk, ignoring the bumps that stuck in her back. Once in a while, she opened her eyes again, hoping that the fatigue had passed.

But eventually, it became increasingly harder for her to open her eyes again, until finally, she gave in and nodded off. For the first time since leaving, she dreamt.

A small upturn of the lips adorned her face as her dream took her back to Konoha, to the field of cosmos flowers that she had frequently visited with Ino.

The first sign of trouble came when the dream abruptely ended. Sakura could suddenly clearly feel two chakra levels extremely closeby and her eyes flew open in shock. Hurriedly, she drew a kunai from her pouch, crouching down in a fighting stance as the first person landed in front of her.

Her eyesight was still bleary, but the long red and black cloaks immediately told her that she was in big trouble. As she glanced up to the man's face, she noticed his grey-blue tinted skin, his razor sharp teeth and the rotting odor that rolled out of his mouth with every breath he took. It blew in her face and Sakura resisted the urge to hurl, knowing that this was no opponent to be underestimated.

"Hoshigaki Kisame," she said, gripping her kunai even harder. "I recognize your face from the file we have on you."

"I feel so honored," Kisame grinned in response as he moved his hand to his back. He grabbed Samehada and pulled it off the belt that was strapped over his back. Some of the bandages that were wrapped around the sword let go, allowing Sakura to see the sharp edges sticking out. "Introductions come later though."

She gritted her teeth, readying herself for combat. But with the speed of light, Itachi interjected, appearing in front of her. Astonished, Sakura glanced up to regard her new adversary, but Itachi's crimson Sharingan had changed already into pinwheels and swept her away.

Sakura barely had time to scream before fear overtook her completely.

"Tsukiyomi already huh?" Kisame grunted, glancing at the kunoichi as she screamed loudly, eyes widened in horror. Then, she slumped to the ground and it became eerily quiet.

Itachi blinked twice, allowing his eyes to return to their original color for a moment as he glanced down the kunoichi. The pink thresses and the clothing left no doubt about it. Long, pale fingers stretched out to brush some bubblegum strands away, revealing the forehead protector and Konoha's symbol on it.

Cupping her chin, he tilted her head upwards so that he could get a good look at her face. Her cheeks were hollowed and her skin looked unnaturally grey. Dark circles were prominent under her eyes, long lashes cast shadows on her pale cheeks. Her swoon had left a light sheen of sweat on her face.

"It was not Tsukiyomi," Itachi said simply, still regarding the kunoichi's face. "Just a mere illusion."

"She succumbed quickly," Kisame noted, stepping closer as he slid his sword back on his back. He cocked his head to the side, still grinning widely as he observed Sakura momentarily. "Will we use her as bait for the kyuubi, Itachi-san?"

Itachi remained quiet for a second, pondering over a million issues in his head as it seemed. Then finally, he let go of her face and stepped away from her unconscious body. "Take her along," he instructed calmly before disappearing into thin air.

Kisame grunted in response, not quite happy with the prospect of having to carry the girl back to the inn where they were going to lodge for a while. But Itachi's orders were law and Kisame knew fully well that if he'd return without the kunoichi, consequences would be dire.

With another sigh, he heaved the girl over his shoulder and followed Itachi, cursing under his breath as thunder crashed in the sky. Rain started to pour down relentlessly, causing Kisame to utter some vulgar words to the sky. Sakura slid off his shoulder as he reached over to grab the kunai she had dropped, falling on the unforgiving floor, her knee banging against a loose branch on the ground.

He glanced at the pink haired kunoichi and grinned widely. It had been a long time since they used a bait to lure in a Jinchuuriki, and he was sure this time would be as fun as the last time they used one.

The first thing she could feel was the sharp pain that flamed through her knee. Sakura groaned hard, fighting to open her eyes. She struggled against her instincts to lay completely still on the floor so that the pain in her knee wouldn't flare and sat up straight.

The room was dimly lit, not allowing her to see much of the environment she was currently in. She rubbed her head, quickly regathering her memories, groaning even harder as she realized that she had stumbled onto two Akatsuki members. The day couldn't possibly get any worse.

She held out her arm, faintly noticing the wall there as the soft light bounced off the white wall to the floor. Using the wall as a leverage, Sakura attempted to stand up, gritting her teeth so hard it hurt. But her knee was too painful to stand up and she landed back on the hard, wooden floor. Stifling a gasp of pain, she crawled to the wall and leaned against it, propping her knee up against her stomach.

Sakura molded as much chakra as she could to her hand, quickly forming some handseals. Her hand moved to her knee, and she sighed in instant relief as the pain weakened under her warm touch. To Sakura, it almost felt as if her chakra was kneading the pain away.

It was then that she heard two people nearing the room. Their pacing was calm, as if they weren't in a hurry and all Sakura could do was grimace. Being a hostage of Akatsuki promised little good and it would stall her from her destinations. Her grimace slowly turned into a scowl and by the time the door opened, Sakura was infuriated, squinting her eyes as a bright light streamed into the room through the now open door.

"Hello kunoichi," Kisame's raspy voice sounded from the door opening. Sakura held up her hand to block out the blinding lights and could barely make out Kisame's huge sillouette in the threshold. "She's awake, Itachi-san. What should we do now?" he said, not to her, but to the figure that had suddenly appeared beside him.

Itachi was significantly shorter, but that wasn't such a difficult feat when Kisame was your partner, Sakura noticed. Overall, perhaps he was just a feet or two taller than her.

Immediately, Sakura started to ponder about the possible escaping options. Though Itachi was the smaller one, she knew he was significantly stronger than Kisame. And his eyes could disable her for days. She clenched her jaw. "What do you want with me?"

"Are you able to stand?" Uchiha Itachi's soft voice drifted through the room as he completely ignored her previous question.

A little disappointed that she had been unable to evoke a reaction out of the Uchiha, she pushed herself up. Her knee was still hurting, but it was a dull pain now instead of the flaming pain she had felt earlier. Her knees buckled under her after she attempted to take a step into their direction, signaling that she was incredibly tired.

Another attempt sent her back to the floor and Sakura bit her lip until it bled, unwilling to cry out in pain now that those two Akatsuki members stood in front of her. Her knees throbbed violently, but Sakura knew she had to stand up. She most certainly did not want to test Itachi's patience.

Feeling the sharingan piercing through the darkness, she tried to stand up again, and failed miserably. As she massaged her painfully purple knee, Itachi suddenly appeared in front of her, taking her by surprise. Itachi stared down at her, emotionlessly then bowed down, roughly taking her wrist in his hand. He helped her up, allowing her to hold on to his large hand for support while he calmly trotted out of the room.

Sakura fumed with anger, trying her best not to cry out in pain while Itachi walked in front of her in a fast pace. He didn't even bother to check if she was alright.

Finally, her knee gave into the pain and became numb. She pulled away from Itachi's strong hand and allowed herself to sit down on the floor. She tried to activate her chakra once more to heal herself.

A barely audible sigh was heard, and she was suddenly being hoisted up over his shoulder, her face facing his back as he made his way to a door.

It didn't even occur to her to yell at him for obvious reasons.

First of all, she was scared. This was a killer that stood out among killers. Itachi was legendary. Secondly, the warmth of his back and shoulder radiating to her body was pleasant, as her body felt like it was made out of ice. When he finally let go of her, and she sat down on the ground while he opened up the door. Now that he wasn't holding onto her anymore, she felt strangely numb.

He opened up the door and gestured for her to go in. Knowing that this wasn't the time to complain or disobey his requests, she stood up slowly and walked into the room, passing Itachi on her way in.

Similar to the previous room, this room was also completely dark and Sakura waited patiently for her eyes to adjust to the gloomy atmosphere.

"Why did you bring me here?" Sakura questioned numbly.

"I wasn't aware you might prefer to sleep in the hallway," Itachi said in his usual quiet, baritone voice. "Sleep," he directed before walking out of the doorway. "Kisame stands guard," he added, almost as an afterthought, before closing the door behind him.


	3. The Red Moon Calls

**Chapter Three – The Red Moon Calls**

**Blossom: I don't own Naruto and Please Review or I just may stop writing.**

The rain storm of that particular afternoon had ensured a clear, star-shot night. The moon's bright rays reflected on the wet surfaces of the stones that paved the way to the Uchiha district.

Behind her, the loud bustle of the town was getting more hushed as she moved closer and closer to the completely still area. All she could hear now was the faint sound of crickets that now inhabited the abandoned complex and the occasional sounds of birds flying over.

Though everything seemed peaceful, for some reason, it looked off to her. As though she was missing something of the utmost importance, but she couldn't identify what it was until she stepped into the Uchiha district and realized that the house to the far north was devoid of light.

Usually, Sasuke was in the room that looked over the district by this time, reading through some of his scrolls as he apparently prepared for another day. She didn't knew how many times she had watched him do that, but it was always a soothing sight to see that he was still there, especially after Itachi had shown up so suddenly a few weeks ago.

But this time, he wasn't there. The room was dark and there was no sign of life anywhere around her.

Behind her, a twig cracked.

She whirled around and saw Sasuke. He was walking away from her, his hands pocketed in his white shorts. Then she noticed the full backpack and the fact that he wasn't wearing his forehead protector.

Sakura cried out to him, but he didn't turn around.

Instead, he just walked on until she couldn't see him anymore.

"Don't!" she called out, her emerald eyes opened wide. Her hand was stretched out towards the grimy ceiling, the dream still vividly etched into her mind.

Disorientated, Sakura glanced around the room.

It was cold inside as she disentangled herself from the white sheets, sitting upright as she inspected the rest of the small room, noticing that she was completely alone.

She swore profusely as memories from the previous day flooded her mind. Itachi and Kisame were near, Sakura knew that much. Escape was not probable, but she could either make it work or die trying. There was no way in hell that she'd be kept a hostage of Akatsuki.

Hastily, she slid off the bed, noticing her boots near the window. Sakura didn't even take the time to put them on, knowing that either one of them could be back any minute now and escape would be impossible from then on.

Sakura grabbed the handle for the window, trying to lift it up without making too much noise. But the window was old and creaked with every inch. She cursed violently under her beath, trying to slide it open quickly now without pulling the entire wall out with her strength.

"Nice try kunoichi," a deep, raspy voice sounded from behind her.

Gritting her teeth, she turned around to see Kisame's face, a mocking grin adorning his blue lips. "Very unpredictable too," he said, sarcasm saturating his voice.

He was leaning against the wall next to the door, his immense sword leaning against his hip, handle in his hands. Evidently, Kisame was going to attack her if she would make one more move.

Automatically, Sakura reached for her kunai pocket, ready to attack him as soon as he came for her. But her pouch had been removed, as was the pouch filled with senbon that used to be strapped on to the back of her skirt.

"Are you going to fight me, kunoichi?" Kisame said, laughing shortly. "Amusing."

"I am," she said darkly, dropping into her fighting stance. Though she was exhausted beyond beliefs, her chakra almost completely depleted from running constantly through the countries since her escape from Konoha, the last thing Sakura would ever do was give into Akatsuki.

But before she could even make a move, the door opened again and this time, Itachi stepped inside. He quickly assessed the situation, glancing from Kisame to Sakura. He kept his piercing eyes on her for a while, observing her as though she was a mouse in a cage, waiting to be experimented on.

"Dinner," Itachi said, gesturing towards the hallway. "Follow me," he said to Sakura, his soft voice compelling, threatening.

"What do you want with me?" Sakura said as Itachi turned to step out of the room again.

He glanced over his shoulder. "We'll discuss this while eating. Now come."

She stood still.

"Kisame," Itachi said. Kisame grinned as he grabbed his sword. Within a split second, he had disappeared from the place he was standing and stood behind Sakura.

"Relax kunoichi," Kisame said as Sakura turned around, accumulating the last of her chakra into her fist. "We're not going to kill you…"

She lowered her arm a little bit, incredulous.

"Yet," he added with another grin, exposing his razor sharp teeth to her. As he exhaled, some of his vile breath fanned over her face, nauseating her immediately. She fought back the urge to hurl, took a few steps backwards until she stood in the middle of the room, Itachi on one side, Kisame on the other.

"What do you want with me?" she asked again, turning to Itachi.

Itachi said nothing as he turned to face her completely, his crimson eyes blank. "I don't like repeating myself kunoichi."

With that, he stepped outside the room and sauntered away.

Quickly deliberating, Sakura looked towards the open door and then over her shoulder to see Kisame standing there, the insane grin still apparently on his disfigured face. Clearly, she didn't have an option but to follow Itachi right now and see what they wanted with her.

Her eyes narrowed as she walked back towards the window, picking up the boots she had dropped in the heat of the moment. Kisame watched her with disinterest as she put them on quickly. "Will you be standing here all the time?" she finally asked, annoyed by his very presence.

Kisame answered by laughing, following her as she followed Itachi out of the room and steered her towards a larger room to their left. She didn't even get much more time to inspect the place they were lodging in as Kisame pushed her into the room.

A large wooden table stood in the middle, Itachi seated at the head. There were some bags with a restaurant's name on it; take out. She almost snorted, realizing that she never even thought about Itachi and Kisame cooking for themselves. It sounded almost silly and she nearly broke into hysterical laughter as she imagined Kisame with a frilly apron standing in front of a stove.

Itachi evidently noticed her barely concealed laughter as he raised his eyebrows slightly, obviously under the impression that she had completely lost it.

"I'm surprised you find this entire situation laughable, kunoichi," Itachi said, gesturing to a chair on his left side while Kisame sat on the opposite side of the table.

Sakura sat down on her designated spot, eyeing Kisame as he dove into one of the bags, hunger displayed clearly in his round eyes. "I was just thinking about Kisame in an apron. He seems to be your dog so I assumed he would cook for you too."

Kisame looked up, the grin gone from his mutated features. He didn't seem to appreciate the jibe.

Inner Sakura cheered her on.

He threw the smallest package towards her and she caught it midair, slowly removing the lid from the plastic cup, noticing the noodles inside. She eyes them warily and then looked at Kisame as she replaced the lid and slid away from food from her, ignoring the sounds her stomach was making.

"You're rude kunoichi," Kisame said, grinning widely as he opened his own package.

Sakura choose to ignore him. Instead, she looked at Itachi as he opened his package calmly, grabbing one of his red dumplings. He turned the full force of his intense red eyes on her as he took a bite, unmistakably waiting for her to make the first move.

"Deidara isn't here?" Kisame asked, oblivious to obvious tension as Sakura struggled to formulate a good opening sentence.

"No," Itachi said, his eyes still focussed on Sakura.

"Deidara?" she queried, trying to sound disinterested. If she was to be a hostage for Akatsuki for the time being, or whatever it was they wanted with her, it might be best to win as much information about their organization as she could muster.

With a slight pang, Sakura also realized that it might be a good bargaining chip to try and get back into Tsunade's good graces.

"Damn," Kisame swore, rummaging through the remaining bags. "They forgot half of my order again."

Cursing pungently under his breath, Kisame stood up and dashed out of the room, abandoning his food and present company completely.

Sakura pulled her eyebrows together. Granted, she had never actually interacted with any S-Class criminals, but Kisame seemed to be a comedian, rather than a true member of Akatsuki.

"Kunoichi," Itachi woke her from her reverie, demanding attention with his deep voice. She turned to meet his gaze, holding his eyes as she fought back the fear that bubbled up inside of her. It was only natural to be fearful of this man; he had killed an entire clan single-handedly, but it wouldn't be wise to show exactly how scared she was of him.

Shinobi rule number twenty-five; never show emotions.

"Sakura," she said, keeping her voice neutral. "Haruno Sakura."

He cocked his head slightly. "I apologize for being rude, Haruno-san."

She nodded, satisfied. At least he seemed to be somewhat dignified still.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Itachi said in that deep baritone voice of his. "You're a medic kunoichi who has been trained by the Fifth herself."

"Correct," she said after a short pause, knowing that lying would get her nowhere.

Itachi nodded, taking another bite of his dumpling. "And you've left Konoha."

She remained quiet. It wasn't a question anyway, more a statement. Naturally it was clear to him that she had left Konoha. She was alone, without a team, without any other Konoha ninja with her. Sakura had been hungry and tired when he had found her. It was obvious.

Her silence apparently was enough of an answer to him.

Kisame took that moment to stomp inside again, a small bag in his hand. He grumbled something under his breath, seated himself and grabbed the rest of his food before. Without saying another word, he started shoving large quanities of food into his mouth, apparently still upset over the fact that he had to run after whoever had brought the food.

"Little brat ran off with the rest of my food," Kisame grumbled at Itachi, pieces of fish between his sharp teeth apparent.

Itachi was quiet for a moment. "Kisame, the matter I asked you about?"

Kisame swallowed. "Handled that already."

They ate in silence while Sakura sat silently, still refusing to eat her food. Itachi sometimes glanced at her, apparently mulling over something as his crimson eyes scrutinized her. Kisame was staring at her as well, a horrifying grin playing around his thin lips as he chewed on his fish.

It felt uncomfortable for her to be there, in the presence of two extremely strong criminals. They were strong enough to defeat the strongest Jounin from her village and now she was sitting across from them, watching them eat. Part of her wanted to run away as quickly as she could, but common sense told her to stay put, knowing that they would finish eating soon and she would finally get to learn why she was there.

Itachi finished first. He turned his powerful gaze towards her, searching her eyes for answers as he puzzled together his words. "Sakura-san," he started softly.

His intense eyes were making her anxious and Sakura could nearly feel her heart stop completely while Itachi deliberated on what to say.

Itachi was a man that seemed to think everything over, even shortest of sentences were thought over before he finally uttered them. It was disheartening to know that she was now, seemingly, the hostage of a man whose intelligence might be surpassing hers. Not to mention his physical strength. It was as if she were up against some kind of machine that could predict her every movement, especially with his Sharingan.

"Why are you here?" he asked finally, voice void of emotion.

She held her breath momentarily, quickly thinking about her options. If she lied to Itachi, he would kill her. There was no doubt in her mind that Itachi did not like to be lied to and the threat was clear in his crimson eyes. He definitely knew that lying might be part of her plan.

Hesitantly, Sakura answered, trying her hardest to keep her voice under control. "Sasuke."

Kisame looked up, chewing slowly on his food, now interested in whatever Sakura had to say. Itachi said absolutely nothing, he just blinked once, slowly, as he took in the information.

"I'm here because of Sasuke," she said quietly.

It was a grim day. Though it was the middle of summer, the usually azure sky was now grey, little to no sunlight penetrated the thick layer of grey clouds. The entire sky just seemed murky, depressing and certainly did fit Hatake Kakashi's current mood.

He glanced outside as he readjusted the mask around his mouth and nose, ignoring the small itch as the fabric wrapped tightly around his heated skin. Kakashi glanced at the grey fabric of his ANBU vest, toying with the roughened texture between his calloused fingers. If he looked more closely, some light red stains still remained on the vest, an eternal tribute to his work as an ANBU member.

When Kakashi had taken the vest off for the last time, he had hoped that it had been for the last time. ANBU, though most of his good friends were from that time, was horrible. Days of strolling around the border and tough fights with incredibly strong shinobi were daily business, as was patrolling every 10 minutes, over and over, until they had no more chakra left.

And yet here he was, pulling the vest over his head once more.

But he wasn't the only one. Due to recent developments in Konoha, namely Sakura's escape and Sasuke's current situation, Tsunade had been forced to take action. Thus she had sent out the best of the best, knowing that if the worst came to pass, they would have to fight Orochimaru, and unless the shinobi she sent were amazingly well prepared, it would end disastrous.

Thus Kakashi had been sent out, together with Lee and Gai, Konoha's presumed taijutsu specialists. Also, Nara Shikamaru had been put into the team as well, providing to be a great help when it came to distracting the enemy and help out with stategic decisions. Inuzuka Kiba and Akamaru for the tracking, Hyuuga Neji for the scouting and Shiranui Genma as one of the all round shinobi Tsunade sent along.

Naturally, Naruto had insisted on coming along, though Tsunade had planned to leave him out during this battle. The Fifth knew precisely that Sasuke and Sakura were Naruto's weak spots and that it might make the entire operation even more complicated than it already was. But there was no stopping Naruto on this. Kakashi knew, Tsunade knew.

To Naruto, this wasn't an act of courage, like Sakura's had been. In Naruto's eyes, this was the logical decision; there had not been any other options and for Naruto to let go of the both of them… well, Kakashi was sure that would never happen.

He tied his scarlet scarf around his neck and placed the mask over his head. Momentarily, he stepped towards the picture of Yondaime and his team, allowing the tops of his fingers to touch the cool glass of the frame, moving over Obito first, before moving on to Rin and finally Yondaime – Namikaze Minato.

With an odd sense of clarity and déjà vu, Kakashi moved the mask until it was covering his complete face and hastily made his way out through the window, towards the Hokage's administration building.

"He always complains about me not being on time and how he hates making others wait, but now look at the time… yeah," a dark shadow on top of one of the many mountains that surrounded the Hidden Village of Stone said, as he looked down upon his former village with one sky-blue eye.

He made a fist with his hand, and reopened it, inspecting the hungry mouths on the inside of his hands, their tongues darting outside, hoping to get some more clay. The blond smirked at them as he stuck his hands into his pockets, allowing them to eat off one of his most precious versions of his chakra-infused clay.

"Deidara…" an ominous voice said from behind him. Deidara didn't even tense anymore. Sasori's distinct way of moving was impossible to be irrecognizable. It was probably the slow strut and the dragging of his cloak on the ground as he made his way to his partner.

"Yes, danna?" he said, turning around to see Sasori coming closer.

"Kisame called in. They need you in River."

Deidara raised his eyebrow. "Why me?"

"Leader wants it that way. Now go. I'll handle this," Sasori rasped.

"I'm always missing the fun… yeah," Deidara said, shaking his head as he retracted his hands from his pocket. "Don't go too crazy."

Sasori simply smirked before accelerating. He rushed past Deidara and jumped off the ridge, landing a good twenty feet underneath Deidara. Without even as much as a final glance, Sasori moved away in his usually calm pace.

"Well… I'll be going then… yeah."


	4. Sinking Into Deep Water

**Chapter Four – Sinking into Deep Water**

**Blossom: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters and Please, Review.**

Utter silence greeted her after she uttered Sasuke's name. Kisame's amused stare was obvious, his vicious grin revealing remains of food between his razor sharp teeth as his horrid breath blew into her face. Itachi on the other hand wasn't showing any visible emotion – as always.

She focused on his Akatsuki cloak, trying to avoid those intense crimson eyes of his.

The tension in the air was thick and nerve-wracking, and the knowledge that she might be turned into food for the dogs in a few minutes only served to fuel her fear. Her hands were shaking and her heart was beating erratically. For some reason, it felt as if Itachi could see all of that happening inside her body.

'_Calm down_,' Inner Sakura thought. '_This isn't helping_.'

Under her inner voice, she concentrated on stopping the shaking. Itachi and Kisame were two Akatsuki members. After everything she had learned about that wretched organization, she should definitely know better than to show how scared she actually was of the both of them. Itachi especially. While Kisame was the brawl of the duo, Itachi's intelligence absolutely matched hers, or even exceeded hers. And there was no doubt in her mind that out of the two of them, Itachi was the better fighter.

A short glance at his Sharingan reminded her exactly why Kisame even was obedient.

"Your orientation seems to be off, Sakura-san," Itachi's reply sounded, cutting through the tense air. Kisame chuckled under his breath as she looked up to meet Itachi's gaze. "Sasuke is not here."

A bit annoyed by his remark, Sakura replied: "I was trying to make my way out of the Fire country first, in case ANBU squads would have been sent out."

"And what, ANBU members don't cross borders?" Kisame said, laughing louder now.

Kisame's taunting rang true. She had been too hasty in her decision to leave, not even thinking about the best route. Her best plan had been to go to River first and make her way north and finally eastward.

But as Kisame's laughing continued, Sakura realized one thing with relief: they weren't going to kill her for going to Sound. It had been her greatest fear, that either Itachi or Kisame might have attacked her on the spot for going towards Orochimaru. He was, afterall, an enemy of Akatsuki as well.

Neither of them had seemed surprised though. Perhaps she was even more transparent than she had originally thought.

As she observed Itachi's handsome face, he seemed to be mulling over something, his eyes unseeing and a million miles away from the small wooden table he was sitting at. Then Itachi blinked and returned. His eyes swept over her face for a moment, before they turned towards the hallway.

A second later, a soft knock was heard.

Kisame stood up, giving into a tongue-curling yawn, exposing all his sharp teeth and his blue-tinted tongue in the meanwhile. He caught Sakura staring and grinned widely, obviously enjoying her apparent disgust.

He swept away from the table dramatically, his open cloak billowing behind him, the tell-tale red clouds moving with every step he took. When Kisame returned, he was suddenly devoid of the gills on his face, as well as the grey-blue tinted skin and the round eyes. He looked like someone she could pass on the streets without questioning his appearance.

Shocked, her mouth fell open, until he released the transformation and turned back into the form she had come to hate during the past couple of days. "Simple henge," Kisame grinned, throwing one of the packages at her. "Can't go announcing to the world that I'm Hoshigaki Kisame, can I?"

As he sat down, Kisame glanced at Itachi. "Itachi-san…" he trailed off, but Itachi seemed to understand.

"We wait. There will be an oppertune time," Itachi said, opening his package. As he deftly moved the sleeves of his cloak out of the way, Sakura noticed his long fingers, his nails painted a dark shade of purple.

Itachi investigated the rice for a brief moment, as Kisame went towards the tap, producing a glass from a cabinet. He filled it with water and put it down in the middle of the table. Itachi picked up some grains and threw them into the water.

The confusion must have been apparent on her face as Kisame smirked. "New kind of poison. It's color and odorless, yet when you throw it into the water, infected food will change colors."

She nodded. As missing nin's, they would probably know every sort of poison or any other intoxicating medicine that could put them out long enough for the hunter nins to kill them. As Kisame mirrored Itachi's movements, and seemed satisfied that the rice didn't change its color, she proceeded to eat. Just before she could bring the small amount of rice to her lips, Itachi's hand encircled her wrist in a fashion that showed her that he could easily break her hand if he applied anymore pressure.

"I-Itachi-san, you're hurting me!" Sakura flinched as she tried to break free from his iron grasp. She had hoped that his grip would slightly lessen, but it didn't. Itachi leaned forward, meeting her frightened gaze with his fiery, red Sharingan.

"Test it," he said, the calm of his voice deceptively dangerous. She deemed it best not to fight him over it and quickly threw some grains into the water. Itachi let go of her hand and she quickly retracted it under the table, massaging her sore skin.

Thee pairs of eyes were trimmed on the glass of water, watching for any irregular change. As none came, Sakura breathed a sigh in relief and glanced up at Itachi, mildly annoyed. But as she watched him watch the glass, something in his expression changed for a brief second, before reverting back to blank.

She followed his gaze and her eyes widened as she noticed the water in the glass had gone blood-red.

After a tense moment, Itachi spoke up: "Six ANBU. Hunters." It remained quiet for a while. "Kisame." Itachi's voice was calm and leveled, but there was something in it that immediately forced Kisame to stand up. The shark nodded, grabbed the gigantic sword that leaned against the wall and placed it on his back, patting it lovingly.

"Seems Samehada and I will be having some fun at last," he said, grinning as he sauntered off.

"Kisame," Itachi's voice was tinged with some unspoken command.

"I know," Kisame said from the hallway.

As Kisame left the building, Itachi stood up, unbothered as he grabbed his package and emptied it in the garbage bin. He turned around to face Sakura, grabbing the package he had been hiding under his chair as he walked back.

Her eyes were still fixed on the glass, shock registering in them, and also, disbelief.

Itachi placed the box in front of her, waking her from her trance. She eyed it once and looked at Itachi. "What is this?"

"Your new clothes. Put them on. We're leaving as soon as Kisame returns."

Before she could ask anything else, Itachi walked out of the room, granting her privacy as he closed the door behind him. Knowing that Kisame could return very soon, and that she definitely didn't want the both of them to see her in her panties, Sakura removed the lid of the box. The first thing she saw was the red cloud embroidered on black material. An Akatsuki cloak.

Underneath the cloak was a mesh shirt, similar to the one she saw Itachi wearing, and some dark pants. On the very bottom lay two identical white socks.

Sakura changed quickly, the shirt fitting her perfectly, though she had to roll the pants up once. She put her boots back on, sighing as she put the socks on over them. When it came to the cloak, she looked hesitant. Wearing Akatsuki's colors, even if it was for a short while, seemed to her like betrayal of her village.

She picked up the cloak, eyeing it warily before putting it on. Though Itachi was more her size, there was definitely at least thirty centimeters difference in height. The cloak dragged on the floor as she walked back and forth with it on.

Grimacing, Sakura hoped that Itachi wouldn't mind as she grabbed the ends of her cloak and tore a strip off. She continued to do so until the cloak reached until her ankles. Just as she was closing the buttons, a familiar scent reached her nostrils.

Fire. And something fresh, like rain.

The cloak smelled like Sasuke did.

Sakura unconsciously brought the cuff to her nose, inhaling that sweet, tangy scent that belonged to Sasuke, a myriad of emotions whirling through her. She didn't even notice that Itachi had returned.

"I trust you like the clothes, Sakura-san?" his deep voice woke her from her reverie and she looked up, blushing madly.

He was standing in the doorway, leaning against the threshold with his legs and arms crossed. His Akatsuki cloak was slightly opened and she could see a small, delicate looking necklace hanging around his neck. Three silver flowers.

"Y-Yes Itachi-san," Sakura stammered. "I had to take some off the cloak though, it was too long for me to wear."

'_Embarrassing moment, hello! Why on earth did I sniff his clothes anyway!'_

His crimson eyes strayed towards her cloak and then down towards the frayed ends of the cloak. Itachi didn't seem to mind it as he pushed himself up. Within a second, Itachi stood less than a meter away from her.

She took a few tentative steps backward, until she met the table and there was nowhere else to go. Itachi had followed her and leaned in close, his eyes calculating as they looked back and forth between hers.

"The ANBU were Leaf," Itachi said, his voice completely devoid from any emotion, yet the coolness of his tone struck her as a bad omen. He had never once used that tone on her, and this time, Sakura was sure that she would die. Surely he would think of her as a threat now that he knew that ANBU would really come for her.

"They're coming for you," he said dispassionately. "Because you ran away from Konoha. And all of this, for Sasuke?"

She nodded once, briefly, afraid to make any more gestures. Sakura closed her eyes, trembling ever so lightly as he leaned away from her, his hand trailing up until he cupped her chin between two fingers. For the first time since leaving Konoha, did she regret her decision.

What would happen now? Itachi would kill her. She would have died for nothing. She hadn't even gotten to Sound village. The pathetic end to the life of a mediocre ninja. Bitter bile surged up through her throat. Even swallowing it away seemed to be the most difficult thing she had ever done.

"I see," Itachi said finally. She opened her eyes, wide with fear, but Itachi's face betrayed nothing as he let go of her chin and walked away from her. "Leaving Konoha for a missing nin out for revenge. Very noble."

Sakura massaged her chin and glanced at the bruises that were blossoming on her pale skin of her wrist. Still shocked, she molded some chakra to her fingers, healing the bruises.

Concentrated as she was, she missed the intrigued look that graced Itachi's face. Frustration overtook her as soon as she healed the bruise. Sakura had never been one to live in fear. Sure, it was normal in a shinobi's life, no matter how hard school tried to teach you to live without emotions. But to have someone hurt her and not being able to do anything in return was unbearable.

Adrenaline flowing through her veins, she turned her most murderous stare onto Itachi, who looked up from her wrist. A flicker of emotion passed his face as she marched up to him. "Please don't do that again, Itachi-san," she said, and for the first time, there was no fear or anguish in her voice, just genuine anger.

"_My future is not where my dream is_."

Sasuke's deep voice resounded through the tiny, dark room. It was as if he were standing there, right next to the bed as he said those damning words.

Naruto gritted his teeth, trying to fight back the tears as they threatened to spill over his cheeks.

Over and over again, Naruto sees Sasuke in front of him, standing on that small plateau in the middle of the Valley of the End. Those eyes that had turned yellow and those marks all over his face and arms. And then, he transformed into a monster. Just like Naruto did.

And now…

"_This time… we'll get him back together!_"

"_Liar_," he whispered hoarsely. "Liar, liar, liar. Sakura-chan, you're a liar."

And just like that, Naruto was bawling like a little child. He pressed his pillow against his face, stifling the sobs while his entire body shook with still unshed tears. But there was also anger, and a lot of rage. Hatred for Orochimaru and for Kabuto and Itachi and all the others that took Sasuke away.

How Naruto wished he hated Sasuke like he had always proclaimed to. That Sasuke meant nothing to him, just another genin ninja who turned out to betray his village to join their greatest enemy. How he wished that Sasuke was never paired up together with him and Sakura.

How Naruto wished he was enough. Both for Sasuke and for Sakura. That it wasn't all meaningless. That there was more to life than constantly trying to save those you've forged a bond with so powerful that it's impossible to let go of them anymore.

Sasuke was right all along. It hurts because of the bonds.

The crying continued until the early hours of the morning. When he finally crawled out of his bed, his eyes were red and puffy and he looked a complete mess. After a quick shower and some breakfast, he put his Jounin uniform on and made his way towards the administration building, hoping to learn more about their situation.

And also hoping that they would be sent out today to get both Sasuke and Sakura back.

Resolve burned in his cerulean eyes as he stepped inside the building.

While she had been healing her wrist, Itachi had buttoned up his cloak again. The only thing she could see right now were those penetrating crimson eyes. It remained deathly quiet for a while. Her adrenaline rush was subsiding, leaving her vulnerable again to Itachi's intimidating presence. She tried to decipher whether he was angered or amused, but his usual blank eyes gave no indication of his current mood.

Then, Sakura heard a chuckle.

Her eyes grew the size of saucers as she watched Itachi, before realizing that it was not his voice. She whirled around to see Kisame standing in the doorway, a bloody Samehada in his hands. Kisame grinned again and as he stepped into the light, she could clearly see the wet stains of blood on his Akatsuki cloak.

"I disposed of all of them," Kisame said to Itachi. "Konoha, as we thought."

He was rewarded with a curt nod. Itachi didn't even look him in the eye, but kept his eyes on Sakura at all times. Kisame grinned at the younger shinobi's back and stared at Sakura as well.

"But kunoichi, you should be happy. You're the first one to ever use that tone on Itachi-san, and he hasn't killed you yet," Kisame started laughing as he walked out of the room, unaware that the tension had thickened in the last seconds of his stay.

As he closed the door, Itachi spoke: "Sit down."

She stared at Itachi for a moment longer, her usual, stubborn self bubbling up inside of her, urging her to keep her self-control and not be afraid of this man. But as Itachi glared at her, her resolve quickly faded away and she reluctantly took a seat.

Itachi took a seat across from her. "You left Konoha for Sasuke."

"Correct," she said defiantly.

"You're aware he will not come back with you."

"Yes," she said. It was the truth. There was no way that Sasuke would come back to Konoha now. Not while Itachi was still breathing.

A pause. Whether Itachi was puzzling together the tiny pieces of the huge puzzle that centered around the former team 7, or whether he thought she was a lunatic, Sakura didn't know.

It was amazing how the two of them looked alike during brief moments like these. He was just like Sasuke—that intelligent brain of his always working full-time, analyzing, storing every little piece of information that he finds.

Yet there was a world of difference in their manners as well. Sasuke would fold his hands together while brooding and thinking, Itachi just seemed lost in his own world for a split second, though his eyes were always aware of every single movement around him. Always calculating his movements and incalculably dangerous.

"You are aware that he'll never do this for you?" Itachi said after a moment of consideration.

"Yes," Sakura answered. Truthfully speaking though, she wasn't sure if Sasuke wouldn't do the same for her. Perhaps it was just her imagination speaking, but during team 7, Sasuke had been part of the team. One third of it, as strong and fierce as Naruto had been, protecting the both of them. Even when Itachi had so briefly appeared, Sasuke had run towards Naruto.

Naruto thought it was simply for revenge.

She wasn't so sure about that.

Would he come for her?

Sasuke's face flashed before her, the arrogant half-grin he used to wear playing around his lips. Another Sasuke, broken and miserable in the hospital bed, dazed as he woke up. Sasuke and the curse mark spreading over his face. Sasuke activating the Chidori against Naruto on the hospital roof… Sasuke on the road that led out of Konoha, smiling almost gently as he turned around.

"_Thank you_."

Suddenly, she was angry.

"It's been six years since he left," Sakura said finally. "Searching power from Orochimaru nonetheless, all for his revenge against you. You broke us. All three of us. Team seven is non-existent thanks to you."

Itachi watched her as she inhaled for the second part of her speech.

"This is your fault. Six years of living in uncertainty, not knowing what might happen next. You destroy lives. You started with that on the night of the massacre. Sasuke's grief became a prison for him. It ensnared us as well and we went down, entwined with him," Sakura said, gritting her teeth together as she finally got her act together.

"Sasuke could have ignored his instincts for revenge," Itachi said simply.

Sakura shook her head. "No. He could never. Even if we tried to divert his attention, and we did, the scars from the past reminded him that everything that had happened that night was real."

Itachi said nothing. His exquisite eyes watched her every moment, taking in the set of her mouth and the way her chakra was moving, almost pulsing with anger, towards her hands and legs.

"I left Konoha for him. And do you know why, Uchiha Itachi? Because the most important people are worth _everything_."

"Nice speech, kunoichi," Kisame said from the doorway, wearing another cloak. She clenched her jaw as she went over his appearance, wishing he had been hurt in some way so that she wouldn't be interrupted in the middle of saying everything she had ever wanted to say to Itachi. Kisame noticed the rage directed at him and grinned. "Give it up kunoichi. You can't do anything."

"_Just wait_," she thought, glancing at Itachi as he stood up. "_I'm not going to be here forever_."

Kisame stepped towards Itachi and Sakura. "Ready."

Itachi gave his trademark nod once as he straightened himself and stood up, straightening his Akatsuki cloak. He walked into one of the rooms, presumably his own, and came back with a straw hat. A small bell rang as he put it on, obscuring most of his features. Kisame did the same and handed her a straw hat as well, though this one seemed quite dilapidated.

"Emergencies only," Kisame smirked as he glanced over the frayed edges of the hat. He was smirking still, his obvious amusement annoying her greatly. Again she went over her thoughts and over both of the shinobi standing in front of her.

Escaping was never impossible.

Itachi stepped out of the room, his bell ringing with every step he made, the Akatsuki billowing softly with every step. Kisame lingered, making it clear that she should follow. One last glare was exchanged as she followed Itachi out of the room, Kisame following her closely.

"So where are we going to?" Sakura asked casually, trying to find more information about their precise whereabouts.

Itachi ignored her, but Kisame was gracious enough to answer: "The Hidden Village of Rock."


End file.
